Page 19 of Breaker

“Thirty-seven.” I waited, hoping she’d tell me her age. Although, Surge had already given me a heads-up that she was much younger than me. Not that I couldn’t tell just by looking at her. Even if a woman aged well, there was no way Juniper could be in her thirties.

“I’m twenty,” she said. “Does it bother you to be married to someone seventeen years younger than you?”

“Not really. You saw Luciana and Spider. He’s old enough to be her grandfather. Doesn’t matter to them, or anyone else around here. They love each other and that’s all that matters.”

Maybe I should have asked if our age difference botheredher. I didn’t think I was ugly by any means, but I did look at least somewhat my age. People often said I could pass for twenty-nine or thirty, but that was still a ways off from twenty.

“You won’t be embarrassed if we go out somewhere and someone thinks I’m your daughter?”

“Nope. I’ll just point out you’re my wife, and that I’m a lucky bastard for landing someone so damn sexy.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Sexy? Really?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” I released her hand and put my arm around her shoulders. “I know we had an unconventional start. With everything going on, it’s not like I expect us to have a normal relationship anytime soon, if ever. I just need to know if you’re open to being my wife in truth someday. Doesn’t have to be this week, this month, or even this year.”

Although, I might die from blue balls before she decided to fully be mine. I’d keep that little tidbit to myself. Then again, perhaps I was going about this the wrong way. Sure, we were still getting to know one another, and she was slowly becoming familiar with the families here. But she still didn’t understand who the Hades Abyss were, how this club worked, or what it truly meant to be mine. Which meant I should tell her before she contemplated what sort of marriage she wanted with me.

I cleared my throat. “There’s something else we should discuss.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. “What is it?”

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “Being part of the club, it’s not just a hobby or a weekend thing. It’s a way of life. And sometimes, that life comes with certain… obligations. Yes, these people are my family, but it goes beyond that.”

Juniper remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

“We have this thing called Church,” I explained, my voice low and steady. “It’s really just a room at the clubhouse, but it’s where the club members gather to discuss important matters, make decisions. And the thing is, sometimes those discussions have to stay within the club. More specifically, with the men who are patched members of the Hades Abyss. There will be things I won’t be able to share with you, even if I want to.”

I watched as Juniper processed my words, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. “I understand, I think.”

“As for the obligations, sometimes there are jobs I have to go on. It’s how I make my money around here. Or if someone else is in trouble, I may need to act as a bodyguard. I did that when Luciana and Spider got together. We thought he was dead, and I had to get Luciana to safety. And when people like your uncle come along, sometimes those jobs include taking out the trash.”

“Where the bad human in question is the trash?” she asked.

I nodded. “Exactly. I know that makes me a murderer, technically, but I can’t really think of those monsters as humans. If they ever had a soul, they lost it long ago. I know it might be intimidating at first, but the more you get to know the other members, the more you’ll see that they’re just like you and me. We’ve all had a rough path to walk at one time or another, and we’ve all had trust issues at some point. But as long as we all rely on one another and work together, then things usually turn out pretty okay.” I’d leave out the part where we’d lost brothers and prospects in the past.

“It’s so much to take in,” she murmured.

“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere. I just felt like you needed to know those things before you decided whether or not you’d want forever with me. But there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

She stared at me, and I knew she was wondering exactly how many secrets I’d been keeping. Or rather, how much I hadn’t bothered to divulge to her just yet.

“Around here, marriage is forever.”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you telling me I’m stuck here with you even if I don’t want to be?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I could tell them you wanted to go on vacation or take a long trip or something… and you’d just never come back.”

“And then I could send divorce papers…”

I was already shaking my head. “Fox would never allow it. I’d be married to you for life. People around here get a little pissy when Surge marries them off. Mostly because they feel they should have had a choice in the matter. In our case, I really did feel like it might be necessary. I’m glad to be your husband, even if you don’t want to be my wife.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, I just haven’t had time to sort through everything. It’s too much too fast.”

I nodded. “I get it. Like I said, take your time. But if you figure out that you want to try giving this marriage a shot and becoming a true couple, let me know and I’ll let you set the pace.”

I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, feeling her skin warm beneath my lips, then I got up and left the room before I did something stupid.

Chapter Nine

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